{
  "id": 513661,
  "title": "Potholes force cars off Calder Freeway as Victorian road anger rises",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/10/potholes-force-cars-off-calder-freeway-as-victorian-road-anger-rises",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-10T23:49:55.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-08-11/potholes-calder-freeway-roads-gisborne-road-damage-drivers/107022594"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Seven cars with damaged tyres were stranded on the side of the Calder Freeway near Gisborne due to potholes, according to John from Macedon Ranges. Another three vehicles were pulled over on the off-ramp, and some were left in tears as they struggled with tyre changes. The same pothole had been repaired just a week prior, indicating a lack of adequate road maintenance. The freeway between Kyneton and Sunbury has been closed for two weeks due to road damage, which John believes is a result of superficial repairs rather than addressing the underlying issues. The Department of Transport could not provide an exact number of affected vehicles, but the right lane of the freeway remains closed city-bound near Mundy Road while patching works are ongoing. Johnny Ravet from Seymour Tyre and Mechanical reported six cars in his workshop with pothole damage, citing a costly repair bill for one Audi that had to be towed in. This incident follows a similar issue on the Princes Freeway at Bunyip, where around 30 cars suffered tyre damage from a hidden pothole during rainy conditions.",
  "summary": "Maintenance crews are patching up potholes on the Calder Freeway between Gisborne and Sunbury after at least seven cars were damaged this morning.",
  "key_points": [
    "Seven cars stranded with damaged tyres on Calder Freeway near Gisborne.",
    "Same pothole repaired a week prior, indicating inadequate road maintenance.",
    "Calder Freeway between Kyneton and Sunbury closed for two weeks due to road damage."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The recurrence of pothole damage on Victorian freeways, despite temporary repairs, suggests inadequate maintenance is leaving drivers vulnerable to costly and potentially hazardous disruptions.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}